Poe was born on January 19th, 1809 in Boston Massachusetts. He was the son of David Poe, an actor, and Ellen Poe, an actress. At the age of three, Poe was orphaned when his father disappeared and his mother died of tuberculosis. John and Fanny Allen adopted Poe; they were merchants in Richmond, Virginia. At the age of six, Allen sent Poe to a private school in England.

As a teen, Poe was gifted in foreign language. He wrote some of his early works in both French and Latin. At the age of fifteen, he wrote enough works to publish a book, but John Allen would not allow it. Poe was also known for being a gifted swimmer. It has been reported that "Poe swam the James River from Lundham's Wharf to Warwick Bar", (Woodberry 42), about 6 miles against a strong current. At the age of 15, Poe was the Lieutenant of the Junior Morgan Riflemen. Poe's Grandfather, General Poe is to be s

In 1826, Poe enrolled into the University of Virginia. His goal was to be an international translator. He was considered to be precise in his studies and works, as noted by critics later in his works. The student life at the University of Virginia was chaotic at this time. One incident, several students created a riot that threw bottles and bricks at the professors. He often wrote to John Allen. In his writings to Allen, Poe talked of the violence on campus.

aid where Poe gained his influence in the military.

In the "Black Cat", the husband in the story was particularly cruel and unjust to the cats. The cats were probably representing Poe when he was defenseless and young. And the temper that his stepfather would act out on Poe was the same temper that the "cat-killer" would kill the cat and his wife. It is no doubt that Poe's traumatic childhood played a key factor exposing the "evil-old man" figure.

Scarlett, Charles "A Tale of Ratiocination: The Death and Burial of

Most of Poe's stories have a continual motive of obsessive-compulsive behavior. This would be expected of Poe when taking a look at his life. He was kicked out of West Point for gambling, a clearly addictive, form of recreation. He would have this personality trait from an element during his childhood that was missing. This characteristic also present in Poe's writing. The obsessive attitude the narrator has towards many things. It sounds as neurotic as Nurse Ratchet in "Over The Cuckoo's Nest." Weather Poe is trying to sound in this manner is questionable. However, one can speculate that he was a neurotic and tactic. On the inside he is quite active.

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Approximate Word count = 2784
Approximate Pages = 11 (250 words per page double spaced)